Bidding on a government project is competitive, complex and time-consuming.

However, it can be well worth it for small businesses to go after those contracts. After all, the federal government lets about $500 billion a year in contracts, and 23 percent of them go to small businesses, according to the Government Services Administration.

In an effort to help small businesses in the San Diego region take a bite out of the contract pie, the San Diego Contracting Opportunities Center, an economic development program of Southwestern College, provides a variety of training programs.